Owners of elevated structures which are accessible using stairways may be subjected to potential liability in the event that the structures are accessed by unauthorized persons. For example, the top of an outdoor oil storage tank typically may be accessed by climbing a stairway having multiple steps and a pair of handrails. In the event that an unauthorized person such as a child or adolescent accesses the top of the tank by climbing the stairway, the person may be injured by falling from the tank or igniting a cigarette in the presence of combustible liquids or vapors which are contained in or emanate from the tank, for example. Therefore, the owner of the structure or of the property on which the structure stands may potentially be subjected to liability.
Accordingly, stairway barricade assemblies and methods which are suitable for selectively barricading a stairway to prevent unauthorized access to a structure which is accessible using the stairway may be desirable for some applications.